Valerica
|Base ID = }} Valerica is the estranged wife of Lord Harkon, leader of the Volkihar Clan. They have a daughter named Serana, whom Valerica kept hidden in a tomb for centuries to protect her from her father. Lord Harkon plots to end the Tyranny of the Sun, but to do so he requires Auriel's Bow and Serana's blood for a ritual sacrifice. Background She, along with Harkon and Serana, were once devout followers of Molag Bal. Tradition of their cult dictated that the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Being selected as an offering was considered to be an honor that was not rejected lightly. Few survived the ordeal, and those who did emerged as pure-blooded vampires. Such confluences were known as the "Daughters of Coldharbour." As such, both Valerica and Serana underwent this horrific and degrading ritual. Prophecy Sometime before the events of , Valerica fled her home of Castle Volkihar with two Elder Scrolls after Harkon became obsessed with the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy. She believed that vampires should stay in the shadows, otherwise it would bring too much attention and ultimately lead to their extinction. She locked Serana and one Elder Scroll in Dimhollow Crypt for her protection and escaped to the Soul Cairn with the other. Outraged by this betrayal, Lord Harkon immediately ordered everyone within his court to find her, but they unfortunately failed, and centuries later, he eventually gave up looking for her. He did, however, say that if she returns on her own, or if someone within his court finds her, she will have to answer for her actions. Ideal Masters When she entered the Soul Cairn, she intended to strike a bargain with the rulers of the realm, the Ideal Masters. She requested refuge, and in return, Valerica would provide them with the souls that they craved. The Ideal Masters had other plans, as they valued Valerica's soul much more. They sent their Keepers to kill her, but she was able to retreat into a fortress and keep them at bay. This, however, turned into a stalemate as neither side had the upper hand. The Ideal Masters constructed a barrier around the fortress that could not be breached in order to contain Valerica and decided to wait. As the passage of time has little meaning in the Soul Cairn, the waiting game continued for thousands of years. Interactions Beyond Death The Dragonborn may travel with Serana to the Soul Cairn to confront Valerica and obtain an Elder Scroll. She explains that the Elder Scrolls are merely a means to an end, and that Serana is the key to the Tyranny of the Sun prophecy. It's revealed that Serana's scroll tells of Auriel's Bow, and the scroll in Valerica's possession declares that "The Blood of Coldharbor's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon." She offers her scroll to the Dragonborn if the Keepers, located at the tallest spires in the Soul Cairn, are defeated. She also warns that a fearsome Dragon named Durnehviir is roaming this plane and is charged with overseeing the Keepers. Once Durnehviir is slain she will remark about how she thought she would never see the death of that dragon, but realizes that his physical form is just displaced. Though Serana spent a lot of time with her mother before her exile, Serana comes to realize, in the Soul Cairn, that Valerica is as bad as her husband in the sense that she uses her daughter to further her plans. Kindred Judgment After the Dragonborn kills Harkon, it is possible to travel back to the Soul Cairn and tell her Harkon is dead. She will return to her study about a day later. After Valerica returns to the castle, she will plant new herbs in the garden in the courtyard, provided Garan Marethi is asked to repair the corridor that leads there. The Corridor cannot be repaired if the Dragonborn sides with the Dawnguard. The Dragonborn can ask her to make Bloodcursed Elven Arrows, but she replies that even though Harkon is dead, she wants to stay as far away as possible from completing the prophecy that Harkon envisioned. Dialogue Conversations ;Valerica, Vampire Serana: "Mother? Mother!" Valerica: "Maker... it can't be. Serana?" Serana: "Is it really you? I can't believe it! How do we get inside? We have to talk." Valerica: "Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?" Serana: "He doesn't know we're here. I don't have time to explain." Valerica: "I must have failed. Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he." Serana: "No, you've got it all wrong. We're here to complete the prophecy our way, not his." Valerica: "Wait a moment... you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?" Serana: "No, you don't..." Valerica: "You. Come forward. I would speak with you." talking with Valerica Valerica: "This stranger may call vampire, but knoes nothing of our struggle, Why should I entrust you to ?" Serana: "This "stranger" has done more for me in the brief time I've known him than you've done in centuries!" Valerica: "How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!" Serana: "Yes, he's a fanatic... he's changed. But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?" Valerica: "Oh, Serana. If you'd only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'd be in terrible danger." Serana: "So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again. But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll." Valerica: "I'm sorry, Serana. I didn't know... I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to enstrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours." ;Durnehviir Serana: "Wait... I hear something!" Valerica: "It's Durnehviir... he's here! Defend yourselves!" Quotes *''"If you want that scroll, the barrier needs to come down."'' *''"The Elder Scroll is just a bit further."'' Trivia *Serana mentioned to Valerica that she wanted to live a normal life with her. This can be done regardless of the faction selected, after Harkon has been killed. *Valerica wears a unique set of Vampire Royal Armor. *Valerica shares the same voice actress as Astrid. *If the Dragonborn is a member of the Dawnguard, she is very protective of Serana and questions the Dragonborn of their intentions with her daughter. *Valerica's hairstyle is unique to her, as is Serana's, and unavailable to the player. Appearances * de:Valerica es:Valérica it:Valerica ja:Valerica pl:Valerica pt:Valerica ru:Валерика uk:Валеріка Category:Skyrim: Essential Characters Category:Skyrim: Necromancers Category:Skyrim: Daedra Worshippers Category:Skyrim: Undead Category:Dawnguard: Soul Cairn Characters